“The art of war is the art of deception.” So goes one of the most basic tenets of military strategy from Sun Tzu’s classic, The Art of War. So it should not be surprising if candidates and/or their supporters resort to fake news or disinformation to win in next year’s elections.
Responsible media networks routinely fact-check items posted on social media, especially those that go viral, to determine if they convey the truth or spread disinformation. They label materials spreading disinformation as false or fake.
But they can only do so much. With the election fever starting to heat up with candidacies filed, we can only expect the volume of lies to increase.
We will have a hard time policing posts even just from notorious networks. And we can assume that the best disinformation networks may even remain undiscovered.
Opposing camps/candidates could conceivably engage in disinformation. And disinformation is not a new phenomenon; The Art of War dates back to the 5th century, and it is merely one documentation of it.
The only thing social media have done is to magnify its reach tremendously. What used to be retail disinformation can now be done wholesale.
Fortunately, we are not completely helpless. Until such time as social media can be effectively regulated to guard against deceptive (and manipulative) contents, among others, we can shield ourselves from the corrosive influence of disinformation. Here, a Russian proverb provides guidance–trust but verify.
If a material sounds too good to be true, it’s probably not true.
Before you share anything, fact-check. Consider the source.
Don’t click on clickbaits.
Read what the other side/s/candidate/s (of any issue) has/have to say.
The Bible says “the truth will set you free”; but you/we have to be ready to pay the price to get it.
Choosing the next president (and other government officials) has never neen an easy task for voters. It just got more difficult with wholesale disinformation using social media.
The theater of war has shifted to social media. Truth forums should win over troll farms. Choose and fight for the right camp.
Platform for the Good and Benefit of All
Those who want to become the next president of the country must be able to articulate a clear platform of government should they win. A candidate running for the highest elective position of the land must have a comprehensive vision for the country with concrete plans.
This page has been artculating, through its posts since 2020, PROUT ideas that can be considered by well-meaning leaders if they are looking for alternative solutions to the country’s basic problems.
PROUT stands for PROgressive Utilization Theory. It is a comprehensive socio-economic theory that presents a blueprint to create a better alternative to the current socio-economic systems.
PROUT was introduced in 1959 by P.R.Sarkar, one of the greatest spiritual and social reformers of the 20th century.
PROUT envisions a social order that will transform poor states into self-sufficient economies (at least in terms of basic needs) with dynamic and ethical leadership. PROUT not only aims to develop socio-economic regions but targets to also benefit the people who live there.
Among PROUT’s distinctive ideas is that real progress is only possible when society provides the environment where individuals can realize their potential.
Another fundamental and radical solution of PROUT that can wipe out poverty and inequality is for society to guarantee the basic necessities of life to everyone under a system that works to make everyone productive (through guaranteed gainful and meaningful employment) but at the same time puts a limit to the physical wealth (accumulation of psychic and spiritual wealth will be limitless) an individual can accumulate. One possible way to implement this is to mandate large enterprises to convert into worker-owned cooperatives once their assets reach a set ceiling.**
